ere full five hundred yards
before them. It was characteristic of their driver that the horses were
suffered to pause at the creek long enough to get a swallow of water;
then, refreshed, they were off at full speed again.

The coach, creaking in every joint, rocked like a captive balloon,
the unhappy passengers were hurled from one side of the vehicle to
the other, flung into one another's laps, and occasionally, when some
uncommon obstacle sought to check the flying coach, their heads collided
with its roof. The Indians menaced them without, cracked skulls seemed
their fate within.

Will plied the whip relentlessly, and so nobly did the powerful horses
respond that the Indians gained but slowly on them. There were some
fifty redskins in the band, but Will assumed that if he could reach the
relay station, the two stock-tenders there, with himself, Lieutenant
Flowers, and the passengers, would be more than a match for the
marauders.

When the pursuers drew within fair rifle range, Will handed the reins to
the lieutenant, swung round in his seat, and fired at the chief.

"There," shouted one of the passengers, "that fellow with the feathers
is shot!" and another fusillade from the coach interior drove holes in
the air.

The relay station was now hard by, and attracted by the firing, the
stock-tenders came forth to take a hand in the engagement. Disheartened
by the fall of their chief, the Indians weakened at the sign of
reinforcements, and gave up the pursuit.

Lieutenant Flowers and two of the passengers were wounded, but Will
could not repress a smile at the excited assurance of one of his fares
that they (the passengers) had "killed one Indian and driven the rest
back." The stock-tenders smiled also, but said nothing. It would have
been too bad to spoil such a good story.

The gravest fears for the safety of the coach had been expressed when
it was known that the reds were on the war-path; it was not thought
possible that it could get through unharmed, and troops were sent out
to scour the country. These, while too late to render service in the
adventure just related, did good work during the remainder of the
winter. The Indians were thoroughly subdued, and Will saw no more of
them.

There was no other adventure of special note until February. Just before
Will started on his run, Trotter took him to one side and advised
him that a small fortune was going by the coach that day, and extra
vigilance was urged,